We started the day Saturday by driving to Ventimiglia, just across the border into Italy, to visit the wonderful 19-hectare hillside garden of the Hanbury Botanical Garden, built by Sir Thomas Hanbury from 1867 on. This was not an easy garden to reach. Overcoming the challenges of getting there made the ultimate experience all the more satisfying.
We entered the garden at street-level and descended through multiple terraces of lush plantings where we found first-rate ... Read More …

France or Italy? There’s still time to decide to come with me next spring to the south of France or southern Italy to see some fabulous gardens and experience the joy of these two spectacular destinations.
You will find full details of both 15-day tours, the first to Italy, starting in Rome and moving down the Amalfi Coast to Sicily, and the second one concentrated on Provence and the Cote d’Azur in France, at either ... Read More …

South of France or southern Italy? Two spectacular destinations. So which do you prefer?
For my next spring garden tour to Europe I had an interesting clash of interests presented to me.
People told me they wanted to tour gardens in the south of France, through Provence and the Cote d’Azur, but were not interested in going to Italy … because they had already done that.
Others told me the exact opposite.
They had been ... Read More …